Itsumademo
by xYukixTenshix
Summary: She met him on the edge of the woods, won his heart, and they promised to be friends forever. For eternity- "Itsumademo" ...Story is for Eternal Love. HitsuxOC
1. Forever Friends

**Itsumademo ****(For Eternal Love)**

**Enjoy-... a gift from Inayuki.**

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters.

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"Oi... who are you?" said the boy with hair the color of winter. A young girl stood facing him, her long purple hair playing in the wind. She stared at the boy with piercing, grass green eyes. She carried a large watermelon in her arms, having picked it from a wild garden in the woods. The boy watched her coolly, not showing much of an interest in anything but the large fruit she had cradled to her chest.

After a bit of observing each other, the girl answered the boy's question.

"I'm Moriko. What are you called?" the purple-haired child inquired with a mellow voice. The boy furrowed his eyebrows in annoyance, wanting to know more. Nonetheless, he answered her question.

"I am Hitsugaya Toshiro. What is your _last_ name?"

"... I don't have one."

The boy seemed even more bemused than before.

"What do you mean?"

"I only have a first name. It means 'forest child.'"

"But _why_ don't you have a last name?"

"I'm not sure... I guess because I don't need it?"

The girl seemed unsure of herself. This boy, who looked to be about her age, was asking her so many questions! Why had he taken such an interest in her?

"That doesn't make any sense," Toshiro stated bluntly. His white hair was being tussled around due to the strong breeze. It had yet to grow, but he was still young. It's not like in the past two years he'd grown at all. As a matter of fact, he had recently seen Hinamori Momo, whose hair had grown a few inches already.

"Well... why are you so serious? You look so young, but your expression makes you look mad."

Toshiro didn't reply, but turned his head away, narrowing his eyes more. He guessed what she would say next: 'Your eyes are _cold_. He hated being compared to the cold. Everyone said he was _cold_, without even knowing him. The only ones who didn't say that were Granny and Momo. He listened as Moriko continued.

"Is it because you're hungry? I have this watermelon here, if you want it. I can always get more anyway," she explained cheerfully. Toshiro looked back at the girl with a surprised look, not having expected that.

As if to answer her question, the boy's stomach made a loud, gurgling sound. He blushed and stared down, embarrassed that his stomach had decided to announce its presence _now_. The girl took the few steps to stand in front of him, and smiled widely. He stumbled back as he looked up to find her directly before him.

"Hey, wha-!?" he began in surprise.

"Here!" the girl slipped the heavy fruit into his arms, brushing her skin against his. The young boy blushed a deep red as her skin touched his, ice cold against his warm flesh. Moriko glanced down at his wrist and arm, a thoughtful look on her face.

"Your skin is really warm...." she murmured quietly, a hint of longing in her voice. Toshiro continued to blush, hating the heat he felt in his cheeks. He was never the type to react like this, especially to a girl. He glanced at her face again, seeing her cheeks tinted with a bright pink color. She was also blushing!

"Uh... um, I have to go now. It was nice meeting you! G'bye!" Moriko stuttered, obviously uncomfortable with the awkward situation. Toshiro's eyes widened, calling her back instinctively.

"W...WAIT!"

But the "forest child" had run into the woods, and it was much too dark to look for her now.

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(Continued)

Toshiro waited at the same location where he had met the strange girl, wanting to talk to her again. He had a few things to ask her. Why had she run into the woods? Did she live there? She was alone, was she? Where had she found that watermelon? (He had eaten it the night before, after arriving home, and he had to admit- it was the most delicious watermelon he had ever tasted.)

Surely, after the sun had begun to set, he heard wheels and grunting coming in his direction. The bushed parted and he saw purple hair. Her back was facing him, and it appeared that she was pulling something. Toshiro stood from the rock where he had been sitting, and walked over to her.

"What are you doing?" he asked, peeking over her shoulder. He saw her hands wrapped around the handle of a little red wagon, and in the wagon was....

Watermelons. Four huge, bright green watermelons. Toshiro's mouth watered at the sight, but he fell backwards, hitting the floor with a hard "thunk" as Moriko jumped back with a shrill scream. His voice had startled her, especially being that his lips had been close to her ear, which left her in complete shock. Unfortunately for Toshiro, she landed on top of him, her bottom on his stomach, and the wind had been knocked out of him.

"EH?!" Moriko stuttered as she jumped off of the boy rapidly. She was blushing, but nonetheless she reached her arm down to him, offering him a helping hand. He inhaled deeply, and glared at the sky. He noticed her hand and took it. Her hand's cold flesh shocked him, but he ignored it as he pulled himself up. Moriko hesitated to let go of him, but she did.

"Sorry... you scared me," Moriko apologized, looking at the ground. Toshiro watched her carefully, examining how her eyes narrowed in sorrow. She was being very sincere, and it made him feel a little guilty.

"It's okay, don't even worry about it," he said calmly. Her head turned up to look at him, and her eyes were wide, not in surprise though, just wide. Toshiro sucked in quickly, as he stared back into her eyes. A mellow silence engulfed them as they stared at each other, both watching the other like an old friend.

Moriko suddenly looked away, blushing slightly but smiling.

"Um... did you need something?" she asked him.

"... Yeah actually. Where did you get those watermelons?"

"Oh! Well, I can show you if you want. Is that okay?"

"Sure, I guess."

Moriko smiled and went to hide the wagon under a bush, and made a gesture for Toshiro to follow. He walked by her side, and she took his hand, his warm skin on hers, as she began to run along a path she seemed to know.

Along the way Toshiro was able to ask her his questions, while she had a few of her own. Moriko felt ecstatic, and without admitting it, Toshiro did too.

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(Continued)

"Moriko!" Toshiro called out, pushing aside brush and bushes. He searched for his friend with the purple hair and the grass green eyes.

Three years had passed since they had met, and now it was time to part. After the things they had gone through together, Toshiro's heart felt like it was tearing in two. He had originally planned not to tell Moriko about his departure to the Seireitei, but he wanted to see her once more.

"Toshiro!" he heard, and braced himself as he realized he was directly under a tree branch. He found out that Moriko was an amazing tree climber, and could probably beat a monkey at tree hopping.

The girl landed on his shoulders, and quickly jumped off to stand in front of him. She was smiling, and Toshiro felt his sorrow deepen, because he knew that look would soon be gone from her precious face. He hated seeing her sad, and when he hung out with the strange girl, he tried with all his strength not to make her sad. But all that effort would shortly be ruined.

"What's up?" she asked in a worried tone, noticing the look on his face. He looked sad, regretful... but guilt dominated both those expressions.

"Hey... Wha-"

"I have to leave."

"...But you just got here!"

"That's not what I meant..."

"....Wait, what are you saying then?"

Toshiro had not met Moriko's eyes, trying to keep his emotions hidden. But he had to explain.

"I'm leaving to join the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. I don't want to hurt Granny anymore, and I'm afraid I might hurt you too, so I'm leaving."

"..."

For what seemed like an eternity, none of them said anything. When Toshiro finally took a risk and glanced at his friend, he saw tears silently streaming down her face.

"Don't cry..." he pleaded. She gazed up at her beloved best friend. Her only friend. This boy had become close to her, particularly because she lived in the woods, alone. Without even thinking, she threw her arms around his neck. Toshiro was shocked, but he recovered quickly and awkwardly hugged her back.

"So then... this is where our paths end...?" she asked in a painfully sad voice.

Toshiro pulled back from the hug, the cold feeling from her skin lingering a few moments before being taken by the wind.

"Baka! We're friends, right?" Moriko nodded once, wiping away one of her many tears. Toshiro reached for her face, fingers extended as he wiped away more tears.

"Stop crying. Friends' paths never end. A true friend will stay on the same path in spirit with the other. We're friends. Forever."

Moriko sniffled, wiping away all her tears, and she managed a smile. Her eyes were glazed from all the wetness in her eyes.

"Friends... for eternity."

"Itsumademo."

Moriko smiled, agreeing, "Itsumademo!"

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**I was kinda hoping to get this story into one chapter for Eternal-chan, but I see now that that is not possible. This is going to be a three or four chapter story. =) Sorry, Eternal-chan...**


	2. Forever Remember

**Itsumademo (For Eternal Lover)**

**Enjoy-... Gift from "Inayuki"**

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters.

**________________________________________________________________________**

The annual "_Fight For a Place" _contest was just around the corner. Spring was in full bloom, and the plants were awakening from their winter slumber. Green patches of grass peeked through the few fields of snow that still remained, while the cold chill of the previous season begin to fade. Each day was warmer than the last, and each night was a little less chilly. Summer would be here before anyone in the Seireitei knew it, and this meant hot weather and warm, sunny days.

_Great..._ sighed Hitsugaya. Everyone in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads knew well enough that the youngest captain in the history of Soul Society hated the heat. After all, was his zanpaku-to element not ice and snow? He would easily pass up a day at the beach for an evening in the snow and a warm tea. Unfortunately for him, he had no control over the weather. Oh wait- yes, he did. He just chose not to spoil everyone else's good mood with the coming days of summer.

_Too bad,_ he told himself with an impatient sigh. At the moment, he was walking around the office gathering the unfinished paperwork Matsumoto had left behind. He had barely left the office for a moment, and when he walked back in he found his office empty, except for the piles of scattered paperwork. He shook his head and scolded her for it, but hadn't really said anything about the matter itself. Or the reason behind the behavior.

Ever since the Winter Battle with Aizen had been over, she had fallen into a sort of depression. Especially since she had participated in finishing off Gin Ichimaru. Rangiku, who had before been loud and bubbly, was now quiet and melancholy about sixty percent of the time. The other forty percent, his lieutenant drank sake until she forgot who she was or passed out. Hangovers would then ensue, which led to unfinished work.

The tenth division captain had also undergone a change a himself in the past few years since the war. Although his "transformation" was much more positive on his behalf. Of course, there was a negative effect to any positive one. As it was, he now stood at a height of five feet, eight inches. He would never express it, but he was glad he had finally grown out of his childish features. (Yet, he was _still_ the youngest captain in Seireitei.) The negative result: almost all the girls in the Seireitei talked about him with an obsession. He couldn't walk anywhere without hearing a squeal from a group of gossiping girls. It was quite irritating, so the only ladies he made contact with were the two female captains, Matsumoto, and Hinamori Momo. After all, she _was_ his childhood friend....

_Childhood friend..._ he couldn't think those two words without thinking of the one person he really longed to see again. He had let out a lifetime's worth of sighs thinking or her...

_________(Continued)_________

**Summer**

"Okay contestants, we're down to the last four fighters! Give it your all, because whoever wins may become a part of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads!" announced Yachiru, lieutenant of the eleventh squad. She sounded cheery, as usual, and excited to see the contestants fight each other.

Yes, the _"Fight for a Place"_ contest was here at last. Summer had brought along the usual eager people of Rukongai trying to win the contest. The person who won this contest was accepted into the Thirteen Court Guard Squads immediately. They didn't even have to go through the usual seven years of the Soul Reaper Academy required.

Many people came to see it, but because of the watching eyes of the captains and lieutenants, there were usually only about twenty contestants who had the guts to perform and fight. Now, they were down to the last four. Yachiru, naturally one of the only soul reapers with a lot of enthusiasm, was always the announcer. She had grown quite a bit, too, since the Winter War about six years ago. Although, she didn't really interact with anyone but members of the eleventh squad.

The fights began again, and there was one member who had breezed through all the others. He even had his own zanpaku-to, but had not released it yet. He hadn't needed to, anyways. The other contestants were like French fries compared to him. (Ha, yes, I know it's supposed to be "small fry.") This man's name was Kichiro Sasaki, and Matsumoto seemed to be paying very close attention to him. Hitsugaya noticed this, and was hoping to recruit him into the squad for her. Maybe a new interest would lift his lieutenant from her hanging sorrow.

As it turned out, Kichiro easily beat his opponent. The other contestant, the one who had won his fight, seemed wary of fighting this strong man named Kichiro. The man smirked, preparing to fight his challenger, named Tadashi Ikeda.

"Okay, whoever wins this fight, wins a place in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads!" Yachiru called out cheerfully, a big smile painted on her face. She began to count, "Okay, one! Two...! Thr-"

Tadashi dropped his katana, lowering his head in surrender. Kichiro furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, hoping that his rival had not given up.

"Hey, Tada-kun! Pick up your sword!" Yachiru whined with a pout on her face. The man responded by shaking his head and bringing his eyes up to meet Kichiro's steady gaze. Tadashi shook his head again, letting out a long sigh.

"I know when I can't win. I give up," he voiced loud enough for the captains and Kichiro to hear. A gasp came from the crowd, followed by jeers and loud complaints. Yachiru had an expression of disappointment on her face, picking up the microphone with an unwilling hand.

"Well... I guess that's it then. Kichi-kun! You win," the pink haired girl announced. Kichiro grimaced, enjoying his victory but upset by being deprived of another fight. He still didn't sheath his sword, waiting for something to happen. And to his surprise, something did.

"Wait."

A cloaked figure appeared through the crowd, head down and face not showing. All the captains measured the mysterious person's spiritual pressure quickly, none finding any. A few of them exchanged glances, coming to the conclusion that they were concealing it. _Strange..._ they all thought.

"I'll fight you, if you like," the person announced. Judging from the voice, Kichiro and everyone else guessed that the challenger was female. How interesting, everyone was thinking. Murmurs had broken through the audience, all talking about the newcomer.

"Is it allowed?" Kichiro asked hopefully. He had been eyeing her zanpaku-to, which she held like an experienced fighter. The hilt was black, and the guard was shaped like a regular katana. She had bandages wrapped around both hands, and around her ankles as well. The young, pink-haired girl at the announcer's stand looked over at her captain, a wondering expression on her face. Kenpachi nodded at Yachiru, at which she jumped up enthusiastically, and said,

"Okay, Cloak-girl-chan! You can fight Kichi-kun, but don't give up, `kay?"

The girl nodded, still not having revealed her face.

"Okay, one! Two...! Three!"

Kichiro ran at the girl with his zanpaku-to extended at full speed. She stood there, katana still in her hand touching the floor. As he came at her, he saw a glint of her eyes, and a shadow of a smile on her dark face. He raised his sword at the girl, expecting her to block, but she did not. As he brought his sword down, she was gone.

_Shunpo?! _he figured quickly. But not quickly enough. The girl with the smile and the cloak was already behind him, and she quickly slashed his shoulder deeply and jumped away. Kichiro turned, his left arm hanging limply, and he was in pain. The gash was dripping with blood, but nonetheless, he smiled widely, almost evilly, and charged at her again. He was prepared this time.

But the girl was not stupid. She knew what he expected, and tried a different approach instead. She ran at him with amazing agility, and raised her zanpaku-to to meet his. Kichiro didn't expect such a small person to have such strength, as it was equally matched to his. The only advantage she had was the shunpo, but she did not use that again.

The captains watched as the two opponents faced each other, their swords clashing and sparks flying from each katana as it made contact with the other. They all saw that the two were pretty much evenly matched, except that they had witnessed the girl's shunpo.

Ten minutes of cheers from the audience and two tired contestants later, Unohana Retsu rose from her seat and walked to the microphone. She thanked Yachiru and announced,

"Kichiro Sasaki-san, Mystery Girl-san, you may stop fighting."

The two jumped away from each other, and the girl laughed. Kichiro blinked, confused at her reaction. At the sound of her giggling voice, one of the captains blinked as well, confused and suspicious. His spine was chilled, but he didn't want to trust his ears.

"We captains have decided that it will stand at a tie. You have both proven to know the skills of a soul reaper well, and will both earn a place in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads."

Kichiro smiled from ear to ear at the news, yelling out an excited, "THANK YOU!" to the fourth division captain. Both contestants, who would soon be made soul reapers, bowed to the captains.

Kichiro looked at his former challenger, and smiled with a mischievous look in his eyes. He could see her wide grin under her shadowed face.

"You fought well. We'll have to do that again," he stated proudly. To his surprise, she removed the hood of her cloak to reveal her face. Her purple hair fell out of the material in a long, thick mass. Her pure green eyes showed a glint of ecstasy as she calmly declared,

"I suppose we will have to, won't we?"

Kichiro nodded as they both heard a captain stand up quickly, followed by a voice filled with anxiety, surprise, and disbelieving.

"**Moriko**?!"

The girl with the green eyes took a deep, shaky breath, trying to control her body's trembling. She didn't seem scared, but more joyous than anything else. She looked up at the captain who had called her name, smiling shyly. Her eyes showed how overjoyed she was, and she started giggling as she said,

"Hey, Toshiro-taichou."

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**THANK YOU Hikari6007 FOR THE REVIEW.**** Lol [=**


	3. Forever Love

Itsumademo (For Eternal Lover)

Enjoy- ... Gift from "Inayuki"

**Disclaimer: I don not own Bleach or any of its characters**

**________________________________________________________________________**

**(Moriko's Point of View**)

The sun was already setting by the time I got to see him again. Kichiro and I were being harassed by mountains of paperwork that were supposed to be filled out before evening. So much to do! I guess this is why it takes seven years to actually become a soul reaper? Well, whatever. I'd go through an ocean of paperwork just to catch a glimpse of my old friend.

When he called out my name after the battle, I was so overwhelmed with joy that he had remembered. After becoming a captain in the **Thirteen Court Guard Squads**, I was so sure he'd have forgotten all about me... But I underestimated him, I suppose. There were a lot of people upset by him calling out _my_ name. Well, most of them were girls. Scratch that- the only ones who got upset were girls who glared daggers at me. Not him, just me! I'm assuming they were his fan girls or something, because I even saw a few had pitchforks and other tools of torture. I know I could probably brush them aside with a flick of a finger, but it was still kind of scary having eighty percent of the female crowd hating me with a fiery passion.

I have to admit, they do have good reason for obsessing. He's grown up so much more than I thought. He's way taller than I am, and even under his captain's robes, you can see how defined his body and muscles are just by the way he stands. His eyes are still the same emerald, teal color I remember them being. I could probably get lost in them, but I'm trying not to think about that. He's probably got enough to worry about what with being a captain and all. I wouldn't do anything to burden him more.

Anyway, after the fight with Kichiro, I went up to him for a quick chat, but I was hurried along by some people in white robes before I could even say 'hi.' They were female too, but they had boxes for me and Kichiro. Inside were our soul reaper robes, otherwise known as shihakusho. Mine was cut short at mid-thigh. It feels weird because all the men have theirs down below the ankles, yet all the women have theirs cut at mid-thigh (Even Captain Soi Fon!). Actually, I asked Kichiro if he would trade with me, but he refused to wear mine. Figures- guys. The ladies with the white robes were nice enough to give me a men's uniform to try on, but the smallest they had was about three times bigger than I am. So now I have to wear this short shihakusho. Great...

Trying to pull down my shihakusho further, I walked awkwardly beside Kichiro towards the first division. We've finally finished all the necessary paperwork and standard procedures. Now it was time to be assigned to our appropriate division. I can feel butterflies in my stomach, and my head's already light. How exciting! But despite all that, I'm really nervous. I really want to be in Toshiro's division, but the chances of that are really unlikely. For all I know, he could be mad at me. After all, the only expression he had on was shock. Once the surprise had passed, who knows what he was thinking or feeling?

The doors were pushed open to the first division. Inside, I saw three people: Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryuusai, the captain-commander of soul society and first division captain; Matsumoto Rangiku, the pretty, strawberry-blonde lieutenant of the tenth division; and Hitsugaya Toshiro, the white-haired, narrow-eyed captain of the tenth division. My heart skipped a beat, and every muscle in my body tensed. I wanted to spring forward and wrap my arms around him, but that would be a bit strange, no?

It was then that I remembered Kichiro, only because Captain Yamamoto called out his name, followed by mine,

"Sasaki Kichiro, Moriko. Captain Hitsugaya has asked that you both join his division. Do you accept?" His voice was low and rusty, just like I'd expect from someone his age. Of course, I knew how much stronger he was than anyone in soul society. I wouldn't dream of calling him an old man for fear of death by his look. There's no way I, who could probably never make it to a lieutenant's rank, could ever beat him. Ever.

"Hai!" Kichiro and I stated clearly. I could feel Kichiro's waves of energy coming off him and hitting me. I'm sure the feeling was mutual.

"Then come," Hitsugaya declared. He started to walk out, and Rangiku followed him. She smiled as she walked past, but it was more directed at Kichiro. I didn't look up to meet Toshiro's eyes as he walked onwards, just for fact that I'm terrified of what he'll do. But I tried not to let that show as we followed our superiors out of the first division. We walked in silence for a few minutes, when Rangiku sighed loudly. She stopped, turned around to face us, and wrapped her hand around Kichiro's wrist. The look on his face was priceless! I would have laughed if Toshiro wasn't there, watching me.

"Hey, I'll show _you_ around the division, and then Captain can show _you_," she looked at me, "around the division, too!"

"H-hai?" Kichiro stuttered nervously. He had a glow in his eyes though. Excited almost, but utterly ecstatic. I would have accused him of being high if Rangiku's hand wasn't gripping him and carrying him away. They turned a corner as they sped away, going out of my sight as I watched them... Which left me...

Alone. With Toshiro.

"That's the happiest I've seen her in a long time," came his husky voice. My head snapped to his attention, taking him in again. I looked away again when he turned his gaze on me. I nodded, not being able to retrain my smile.

I guess this is basically what I'm feeling right now: I want to pounce on him and give him a big kiss on the cheek, or at least laugh and take his hand while we walk around. But... he's a captain now. My captain, to be more precise. And that wouldn't be right. He could have changed so much in that time period where we didn't see each other at all, but I'm hoping he's still the same Toshiro I became friends with. Of course, that's not too likely. And even if I acted now how I acted when I was with him before, there's a good chance he would think I'm just another fan girl to brush away. Oh Lord, what to do now? I guess I'm going to have to wait for him to do something.

"What's wrong? You're acting all weird..." he stated suspiciously. That's the same tone he took up with me whenever I lied to him. I looked up at him, holding in my breath. This was so hard! What was I supposed to do? Act like a good subordinate and state 'nothing' or be _me_ and tell him what's on my mind? Even though my logic rejected the second idea, I went with it anyway. I just left out the "kiss" part.

"Well... it's been so long and I don't know how you'll react if I did what I wanted to do, which is give you a big hug, you know, because I haven't seen you in forever, but I don't think that's a good idea because you're a captain and I'm just, well, me, and it wouldn't make sense, but I don't know, because I don't want you to think that I'm a fan girl of yours or something," I had to stop, and inhale. Wow. I'm amazing at rambling, aren't I? Well, that was completely stupid of me. But to my surprise, he chuckled. It was really low, but I heard it before he realized I was listening and stopped.

"You haven't changed," he stated. His face was smug, and I replied,

"I can't believe I said all that in one breath!"

And I laughed. I let out all my stress that had been building up because of the anxiety. What shocked me even more, was that he laughed too. As a kid, he seldom ever laughed, and he only did when I was laughing really hard, too. It was a few of the memories I cherished most.

After our fit was over, he stood there. And as I looked at him more, he did too. It wasn't awkward, because I was looking for the little boy I had met long ago on the edge of those woods with the watermelon I'd given to him. From the looks of it, he was doing the same with me. I blushed, which was weird because I never blush. Never.

"Hey," I said. He focused, and I think he saw my fading blush, but that was okay, because I laughed and jumped up to him, wrapping my arms around his neck. It wasn't meant to be anything more than a **hug**, but he turned the tables on me and met my lips with his. He held me in place as my eyes expanded, but I gave into him. His warm skin hadn't changed a bit and he still, somewhere under the serious face, was still my Toshiro.

We pulled away after a little, but I wanted more. From the look in his eyes, he did too.

"Now, before anyone sees us, how about I show you around the barracks and the division?" Hitsugaya inquired, or rather, stated. I nodded, happy with whatever it was he wanted to do.

(**Narrative**)

The two tenth division soul reapers walked around their grounds, talking about everything that had happened after splitting up. Hitsugaya found out that Moriko had trained herself, which was surprising. Of course, it's not like today hadn't already been filled with surprises. Moriko and Toshiro ended up going through the tenth division grounds about five or six times over because they had so much to talk about. Bringing up old memories and talking about the near or distant future was consistent, mixed in with Moriko's never fading smile that Toshiro couldn't look away from.

"Ah, remember-" Moriko blinked, pausing, and let out a yawn, which of course triggered Hitsugaya's internal thinking and caused him to yawn as well. (A/N: Eh, I just yawned, too, writing about it... Yawn, YAWN...yawn... YAWN!)

"Geez, what time is it?" the girl asked. Hitsugaya looked up at the position of the moon, and was taken aback by how late it had gotten.

"It's a little past midnight. I guess we should get to bed," he said. Moriko looked completely stunned, and Hitsugaya rolled his eyes, "Not like that, idiot. You have your own room."

"Oh... ahaha..." muttered Moriko. She blushed again, but the moon did not show color, and bleached everything in their sight to black and white. The scene had it's own sense of beauty, and while the two soul reapers walked to the barracks, the moon lit their path.

"This is your room," Hitsugaya stated. Moriko looked at the door with sleepy eyes, and nodded.

"Thank you, Toshi-taichou," her voice was sluggish, but nonetheless she turned to meet Hitsugaya and gave him a big hug, like she had originally planned when meeting him again. As she pulled away she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Opening her door, she stepped in, and waved at her captain.

"G'night," she whispered.

"Good night, Moriko."

Hitsugaya sighed, a small smile on his face. He felt the cold brush from her lips still lingering on his cheek, and closed his eyes. When he turned around, he looked up at the night sky, illuminated with the stars and moon. He was blissful, like he had been when Moriko had taken his hand to show him where she got the watermelons.

"Itsumademo."

**End**

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**Yay! It's done. Oh, for anyone who might not have know, "Itsumademo" means "Eternity" or "Eternal." Did I already say that? I might have... too lazy to go look. Hey did anyone yawn when they read that part where Moriko yawned? I did. A lot. (I just did again) Great. Well, there you go, Eternal Lover! I hope you liked it. The rest of the story is up to your imagination. :) Thank you everyone for reading.**


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